AFRICANS AND OUR UNRACIST LIVES
In 2007, Joseph Godson Amamoo said and I quote “For if racism against nonwhites is morally wrong and unjustifiable, then how can racism against whites be morally right and justifiable?”. This quote is one that almost every African if not all can relate with. Africa no doubt has had to endure several years of exploitation and unfair treatment from other prominent continents and this is one reason why most Africans are wounded. Can I talk about our wounds and not mention the ever famous slave trade? No!
Today I realise that most of my African brothers and sisters are in a trap that is all too easy to fall into. That is the trap of assuming that the word ‘racist’ relates to white folks only, after all, it was they who looked down on us and deemed us fit to be treated like animals. To burst your bubble, blacks can be racist too! No, I am not a westernised African who has been brainwashed and is seeking to turn my back on my people. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and I know enough to say that we have the tendency to be racists.
To be racist is to prejudge or discriminate based upon race. To begin with, some blacks feel that all whites are racist; that is racism! How can you judge an entire race and claim that they are all the same? It is just like declaring that an entire line of biscuits is tasteless simply because you ate a different brand by the same manufacturer a long time ago.
Secondly, some blacks feel that we are a beautiful race (true) with the best skin and hair (lie). There is no such thing as a race with superior hair type! In a race, there are good and bad hair types and what you may classify as being bad hair may actually be great. It may just be that you do not relate with their textures. In situations like this, I say love yourself and that is enough, do not add hatred for another man to your daily routine.
Let us take a break, am I bashing my race? No. I simply want us to think more objectively and look inwards to solve our problems. Fine, our race was wounded many years ago, but it is time to bury that in the past and work on ourselves. Ranting about injustice will not help us but what will help us is self-edification. What we need to do is to work hard, harder and the hardest we can in order to see that we become a needed part of the world. Become surgeons and scholars not thieves and vandals and the world will regard you as a man and not just another Black criminal. If we stop regarding every white as an enemy then maybe we can find one at least, with which we can partner with in making the world a bit more habitable.
In 2007, Joseph Godson Amamoo said and I quote “For if racism against nonwhites is morally wrong and unjustifiable, then how can racism against whites be morally right and justifiable?”. This quote is one that almost every African if not all can relate with. Africa no doubt has had to endure several years of exploitation and unfair treatment from other prominent continents and this is one reason why most Africans are wounded. Can I talk about our wounds and not mention the ever famous slave trade? No!
Today I realise that most of my African brothers and sisters are in a trap that is all too easy to fall into. That is the trap of assuming that the word ‘racist’ relates to white folks only, after all, it was they who looked down on us and deemed us fit to be treated like animals. To burst your bubble, blacks can be racist too! No, I am not a westernised African who has been brainwashed and is seeking to turn my back on my people. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria and I know enough to say that we have the tendency to be racists.
To be racist is to prejudge or discriminate based upon race. To begin with, some blacks feel that all whites are racist; that is racism! How can you judge an entire race and claim that they are all the same? It is just like declaring that an entire line of biscuits is tasteless simply because you ate a different brand by the same manufacturer a long time ago.
Secondly, some blacks feel that we are a beautiful race (true) with the best skin and hair (lie). There is no such thing as a race with superior hair type! In a race, there are good and bad hair types and what you may classify as being bad hair may actually be great. It may just be that you do not relate with their textures. In situations like this, I say love yourself and that is enough, do not add hatred for another man to your daily routine.
Let us take a break, am I bashing my race? No. I simply want us to think more objectively and look inwards to solve our problems. Fine, our race was wounded many years ago, but it is time to bury that in the past and work on ourselves. Ranting about injustice will not help us but what will help us is self-edification. What we need to do is to work hard, harder and the hardest we can in order to see that we become a needed part of the world. Become surgeons and scholars not thieves and vandals and the world will regard you as a man and not just another Black criminal. If we stop regarding every white as an enemy then maybe we can find one at least, with which we can partner with in making the world a bit more habitable.
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